My name is Kelby. At the age of six, in 1979, my body was struck by cancer.I was diagnosed with medulloblastoma – a brain cancer. I was given a 2% chance to live.Doctors said if I lived through surgery I might come out as a little baby having to relearn everything again.

I was blind after surgery and then had double-vision and finally my vision became normal. I had a shunt inserted before this surgery to relieve fluid from my brain.I still have the shunt today.

There were many setbacks. I had asthma attacks in the hospital as well as several allergic reactions – it seemed that all the side effects the doctor listed, I got plus more.At that time, Egleston was not what it is now and the only way to get a private room was to be in isolation – I spent Easter in isolation.I later had radiation and chemo after 60% of the tumor was removed by the surgeons.I lost my hair, but later found that hair was a small price to pay for life.

I am blessed to share that my life is a miracle – luck played no part in my living. Many people see miracles as things that only happened in the Bible, but I am alive today as living proof of a miracle.

After all I have gone through, I have learned much from my experiences. I am short due to radiation depleting my growth hormones.Radiation has also led to rheumatoid arthritis.The arthritis is believed to be the cause of my nearsightedness.And I am deaf in my left ear with a high-deficiency-loss in the other.However, I have seen others with much worse conditions than I, losing limbs and body uses.I am thankful for the things I can do and try not to linger on the things I have lost or cannot do.I thank God daily that I am alive and I can share my story with others.